Today we’d like to introduce you to Radha Windham.
Hi Radha, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in a very musical family and starting playing the piano at age 3. Throughout my childhood and teen years I studied piano, guitar, and drums and fell deeply in love with music. I was homeschooled which really allowed me to spend more time in the areas I was interested in and I had more freedom and independence. When I turned 16 I knew I needed to figure out what I wanted to do and what my purpose was in this world. Music was always at the center at everything and I loved kids so I decided to try teaching. I found students by promoting myself online and then word of mouth took over and things started to move fast. When I was 18/19 years old, I rented an office space and officially opened “Radha School of Music”. It was a wild time looking back. There were so many obstacles and decisions that were made that I should’ve been scared of, but I knew what I needed to do and I never questioned that. Now, almost 10 years later from when I opened Radha School of Music and 12 years since I started teaching, I have the most beautiful music school filled with some of the best musicians in Austin TX. My team is incredible. Our community is everything. Everyone is committed to learning and growing, both in music and in their lives and I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to help create this environment.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I am pretty sure I can speak for every business owner that there are countless struggles and so many moments where you think you feel won’t make it… but then you do. And that process is beautiful. It’s truly all mindset for me. I am a very determined and stubborn person and I feel very lucky to be able to hear my inner self and intuition loud and clear. And knowing that I am doing the right thing keeps me moving and finding solutions to anything that has come my way. I’ve gotten so much better over the years at staying calm and collected in moments I may have panicked in years ago. And so much of that has to do with lifestyle choices. When I started truly taking care of myself (exercising regularly, eating well, sleeping well, living a sober life, having difficult conversations, etc) I noticed everything in my life got better. So that has been the biggest learning experience for me and I strive to continue to stay as disciplined as possible so that I can show up and get through anything difficult in the future. The extreme ups and downs of life never stop and I can’t change that but what I can change is how I react and handle making decisions and moving forward.
As you know, we’re big fans of Radha School of Music. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Radha School of Music is much more than a music school. Our goal is to help others explore, discover, and express themselves through music. My team is incredible and everyone has a unique set of skills and experiences they share with their students. What I love the most about the school and the community is that we never stop creating new things and refining what we’ve already created. Every single person has a unique musical voice with their own style and path and it is our job to listen well and adjust our programs to fit what our students need. It’s kind of like playing music with others. You create, you listen, you react based on what someone else plays, and what you play next only happens because of that unique experience with those people musically. It’s beautiful.
What I’d love for people to know is that RSM is a box-free environment for kids, teens, and adults. We do our very best to keep creating opportunities based on the people we’re working with. We built an entire recording studio because we had students who were writing music and wanted to take their music career seriously. We built a new program called “A.M.P.” (Accelerated Music Program) for students who really wanted to take things to the next level. The ideas are constant and we are so grateful to be in a community of people who allow us to do what we do for a living.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
If we’re talking musically, I’m a huge fan of risk taking. Playing before you can think about what you’re going to play. Improvising without a plan. These are such freeing experiences that often lead to genius ideas and end results. But of course, the question is not about music, however I feel similarly. I think taking risks that make sense and that you’ve put time and energy into figuring out if it’s a win win for everyone are the best. We can’t be living in fear and sometimes failing at something is the best thing that can happen.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.radhaschoolofmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radhaschoolofmusic/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/radhaschoolofmusic/
Image Credits
Rudy
Wynter
Samantha
